Talking to andor Seducing
by Queenie and Kate
Summary: Lupin has more to deal with than simply being a werewolf (written as part of a dialogue assignment-- Please RR, VERY important...)


Talking to and/or Seducing

            "Hey, you're here." The blonde girl stood in the doorway for a moment, before scampering into the room and closing the door behind her.

"Of course I am. It's not a full moon, after all." The man turned from the window to face her, running a hand through his prematurely graying hair.

"No," she agreed slowly, loosing all degrees of "cuteness" as she crossed the room to stand by him. She was not so much the "girl" she appeared to be initially, not grown up yet, but definitely not little. "I'm not silly enough to come see you during the full moon."

"You're later tonight than usual."

"Yeah, there were prefects wandering around and everything, I had to wait until I could get out without anyone important seeing me."

"How would you have explained it to a prefect that saw you in the halls?"

A grin briefly flickered across the girl's face. "I would have just said I had to go talk to Professor Lupin because I was having trouble with my homework."

"Talking to and seducing are not the same thing, Katherine."

"I'm not the one doing the seducing, now am I?" she responded innocently, crossing to the single chair in his office and folding herself into it.

A moment.

"You're quiet today." He had turned to face the window again and she actually paused in worry before adding, "Is something wrong?"

"I've been thinking." In response, she sniffled a bit and he turned, abruptly crossing to where she sat, his robes swishing at each step. He stroked her hair and allowed her to cry, as the differences between them grew in sharper contrast. She was wearing sweatpants and a tank in a world where it was clear that everyone else ran around in robes. "Why are you crying?" He knew, but had to ask.

"I don't know. I just started crying." They both knew she was lying—terrified of what he was about to say. "What've you been thinking about?"

"Just about you and I." She laid her head down against him and he actually took the step to put his arms around her. "I was thinking about how I'm 35 years old. And a werewolf."

"And a fictional character," she added, attempting to sound nonchalant, but failing due solely to the fact that she was still crying.

"Katherine—"

"It's true."

"You could be the fictional character."

"Have you ever read a book about me?"

"No, Kate."

"Well. I've read one with you in it. That makes you the fictional character."

He sighed, releasing her now. Extending holding was clearly not something they were used to or comfortable with. "Where does that leave us?"

"It leaves us with you loving me and me loving you." His entire body stiffened just then. "I'm sorry. We don't use that word."

"We live in different worlds."

"And not just because I'm 19."

"Don't try to be funny."

"I'm sorry."

"I've spent my life being shunned for being a werewolf. This school is the one—"

"And I'm not helping."

"No, you do help." Suddenly, he was sitting on the chair and she was sitting on top of him. The revelation had abruptly caused the contact barrier to all but disappear. "You just don't help in the conventional way. And you don't help, very much, in the way that people will be happy with if they hear about the help."

"I'm an adult." Just his look told her everything. "And you're a werewolf—I know." 

A chiming echoed through the room and she jumped, very nearly out of his lap. "I've got to go," she mumbled quietly, suddenly fumbling to tie her hair back. 

"This is why I've been thinking about us."

"Quiet." She crossed the room and stood before a seemingly blank wall. "Everything is going to turn out fine."

Suddenly his hand was on her shoulder. "I'm going to believe you."

"Can I kiss you before I go?"

"Of course."

For a moment, they were just a couple.

Then she turned and walked through the wall, leaving behind a shadow Katherine—this one dressed in the same robes you could tell that everyone else would wear. The shadow self was not truly a shadow—it was solid and could communicate just like everyone else, but there was a spark missing.

Lupin bowed his head for a moment, and then laid his hand back on the ShadowGirl's shoulder. "Come on. Let's get you to the dorms until she comes back again."

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**Author's Note:** This was written for an assignment in class where we were meant to just start writing a dialogue and not stop. This is what came out of it—it's not necessarily meant to be good or developed, just a narrative. Note: Katherine is in no way, shape or form, me. ;)

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